The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation was launched in 1963 after twelve months of preparation. It was established in order to carry forward Russell`s work for peace, human rights and social justice. This had been assisted by a small secretariat in earlier years, but its rapid growth and increasing cost made the burden larger than could be carried by one person, however distinguished. Preoccupied with the danger of nuclear war, Russell had always been deeply concerned with the defence of civil rights, and the institutionalisation of his work made it possible to create a number of desks which could specialise on different areas or particular problems.
Aims
The Foundation was formed to further the cause of peace, and to assist in the pursuit of freedom and justice. It sought to identify and counter the causes of violence, and to identify and oppose the obstacles to worldwide community. It was designed to promote research into disarmament, wars and threats of war, and to publish the results. It has consistently laboured to carry on the work of its founder in a spirit of fidelity to the standards of reason and tolerance which he did so much to advance. Accordingly, it has always struggled for freedom of thought and opinion, and for non-exploitative forms of human association.
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